Statement by Ministry of foreign affairs

HMBS Flamingo Sinking Remembered

The Foreign Ministers of the Caricom region in their annual meeting being held in Kingstown in St Vincent and the Grenadines took note of the anniversary of the sinking of the HMBS Flamingo on 10 May 1980. Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell recalled the day and thanked the government of Jamaica for the role Jamaica played in settling the matter with Cuba. He said the incident which saw the tragic loss of life of four young marines in a force only six weeks old showed the necessity for diplomacy and the work of foreign ministries. Mr. Mitchell recalled President Rail Castro’s apology for the incident. Caricom entered the names of the four marines into the record of the meeting as a mark of respect in their memory: Fenrick Sturrup, Austin Smith, Edward Williams and David Tucker.

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